Expect to add some new birds to your
checklist when you visit this birding hot
spot. Putnam Park is the best place to
bird watch in Eau Claire. Owned by the
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire,
habitats range from prairie to old
growth pine to rocky cliffs, marshes
and floodplain forest. There are two
sections to the park, one on each side
of the campus. All of this urban green
space acts like a magnet for birds in
any season. You can see Bald Eagles,
Tufted Titmice, Pine Warblers, Ringbilled
Gulls, Purple Finches and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers.

Directions: To access the western portion,
walk west from UW-EC parking
lot #4 along the interpretive trail into
the area. To access the eastern portion,
use Putnam Drive, which runs through
the area and starts across from parking
lot #14.